Department: Marketplace
Location: Arcavindi, Netherlands
Description
About the Team and Business:
We’re excited to launch our UK business, Vintage Cash Cow, in Europe, and we’re currently setting up our European sister company, Arcavindi, out of a fantastic space just outside of Arnhem, in order to accommodate all business operations and our ever growing team. This warehouse will fulfill orders for the Netherlands, Germany, and France and we’re looking for an experienced Merchandise Director to build and support this growth!
The Merchandise Team is vital to driving sales and profitability and as Merchandise Director, you will be responsible for managing and optimising all aspects of curating, selling, and scaling merchandise operations, ensuring the right products are sold through the right channels to get the best value.
This is an amazing opportunity to play a crucial role in building our merchandise operation from scratch and driving the growth of the business as we expand across Europe and take on the complexities of 3 new markets - The Netherlands, Germany and France.
About the role:
With continued success within our UK operation and now big plans for European growth, we’re looking for a Merchandise Director to help propel us into the next phase. Within this role, you will be tasked with overseeing the process from the moment a box is purchased, and enters our warehouse, breaking it down, through to curating its items into resellable pieces, all whilst managing all associated sales and trading operations. Your focus will be on building strong processes around how we curate and sell through the right channels (e.g., online, auctions & traders), and ensuring the best possible value for the products and a second life for all of the pieces we’re sent.
Whilst we have an incredibly effective merchandise process operating in the UK, this is an amazing opportunity to roll up your sleeves and build from the ground up an efficient, dynamic, and scalable operation here in Europe. You will need to build and lead an exceptional team, analyse the output of our different sales channels, manage internal and external relationships, including negotiations and relations with our traders and auction houses. As we scale, consistency and quality across the operation will be key to our success, so you’ll need to learn from the UK operation, as well as lean upon your varying experience to make sure we’re building strong foundations from the onset..
You'll also need to be data driven and resilient in dealing with the complexities of a wide range of SKUs and the demands of internal goals and external relationships, ensuring smooth operations and continuous learning as we grow in this market.
Key goals and objectives:
- Curate and manage merchandise to maximise value and ensure the best possible return on investment
- Build, optimise, and scale the sales channels, driving consistent sales and profitability
- Develop and implement processes to maintain quality and consistency as the operation grows
- Analyse the output of sales channels to refine and optimise product offerings
- Build strong relationships with traders, auction houses, and buyers, negotiating kickbacks and fees to maximise profits
- Create and maintain smooth, efficient operations that are scalable as the business grows
Key Responsibilities
- Oversee the process from purchasing items to curating and breaking down merchandise, ensuring maximum value is achieved
- Develop a clear merchandise strategy for the European market and implement it with your team, ensuring consistency and quality across all products and channels
- Manage sales channels, including eBay, auctions, traders, and other external relationships, ensuring products are sold at the best possible value
- Analyse sales data, trends, and performance to inform decisions on product offerings and sales channels
- Manage and build relationships with external partners, such as traders and auction houses, negotiating fees and ensuring mutually beneficial outcomes
- Develop and lead a high-performing team, providing coaching, mentoring, and guidance to ensure performance, productivity and engagement
- Identify bottlenecks in the sales process and drive initiatives to resolve them, ensuring smooth and fast movement of inventory
- Create and foster a culture of learning within the team, positioning mistakes as learning opportunities
- Maintain efficient operations while ensuring the team can scale effectively as the business grows
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
- Essential skills and experience:
- Experience in Operations, Sales, and Revenue Management, preferably in retail or a related field
- Proven track record of developing and implementing merchandising strategies that drive sales and profitability
- Strong leadership and team-building skills with the ability to manage a growing team
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with a strong focus on data-driven decision-making
- Ability to navigate complex and dynamic sales channels with a diverse range of SKUs and product types
- Experience with inventory management and working with large volumes of diverse products
- Strong commercial acumen and experience negotiating with external partners to maximise profitability
- Ability to operate in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment and manage multiple competing priorities
- Hands-on, willing to dive in and get things done, as well as pivot and adapt as we learn or hit obstacles
- Strong at building relationships and trust with internal teams, external partners, and stakeholders
- Commercially astute with a strong understanding of revenue generation and maximising profit
- Dynamic and able to thrive in a fast-paced environment, always looking for innovative ways to improve processes
- Motivated to inspire and lead a team, ensuring that everyone is aligned with company goals and values
- Someone who embraces a growth mindset, focused on continuous learning and improvement
- Desirable skills and nice to haves:
- Background in regional sales or senior commercial roles, preferably in the Netherlands, Germany, or France
- Experience in managing merchandise in retail environments or smaller-scale operations
- Experience in using tech and data to optimise processes and performance
- Experience in a high-performance environment
- Experience supporting a scale-up business with international expansion.
What's in it for you!
- We’re growing rapidly – and this is only the beginning. This is your chance to join early in something seriously exciting.
- You’ll be part of a team uncovering vintage and antique treasures every single day. Our amazing customers send us fascinating items from all over the country – and you’ll help give them a second life.
- You’ll be contributing to something that truly matters. We’re building a sustainable, circular company that helps people declutter with ease – while finding new homes for pre-loved pieces full of history and charm.
- The tools, resources, and support you need to succeed and grow. We’re big believers in self-improvement and will back you to become the best version of yourself.
- A collaborative and supportive team. We’ve got each other’s backs, and we work hard to create a space where everyone feels safe, included, and inspired.
- 25 days of annual leave, plus great benefits.
- Daily lunch with the team – on us!
- A fun, inclusive, and thoughtful company culture.
✨ We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer.
We’re building a workplace where everyone feels heard, valued, and empowered to be their authentic self. Diversity fuels our creativity, innovation, and success – and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences.
If you’re excited about this role but don’t meet every requirement, we still encourage you to apply – your unique strengths might be exactly what we need. And if you need any adjustments during the hiring process, just let us know – we’re here to support you.
At Vintage Cash Cow, we believe in building an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and encourage candidates to apply even if they don't meet every requirement listed. Your data will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Notice.
